'Power Rangers' actor arrested in fatal sword stabbing in California

Reuters Staff

2 Min Read

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - An actor who co-starred in the “Power Rangers Wild Force” television series has been arrested on suspicion of stabbing a roommate to death with a sword in Southern California, authorities said on Monday.

The slaying on Saturday afternoon in Palmdale, California, north of Los Angeles, stemmed from an argument between the suspect and the victim that turned violent, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said in a statement.

According to an account of the incident provided by sheriff’s deputies, the suspect, Ricardo Medina, 36, retreated to his bedroom with his girlfriend during the altercation, but his roommate, Joshua Sutter, followed them and forced open the door.

Medina is then accused of stabbing Stutter, 36, once in the stomach with a sword kept next to his bedroom door. Police say Medina then called emergency 911 and remained at the scene until sheriff’s deputies arrived.

He was later jailed on suspicion of murder, in lieu of $1 million, after being interviewed by homicide detectives, the sheriff’s department said.

A spokeswoman for the department confirmed that Medina is the actor who played the Red Lion Wild Force Ranger on the “Power Rangers Wild Force” TV series in 2002.

According to the Internet Movie Database website, Medina also voiced the character of Deker on a later series, “Power Rangers Samurai,” and has previously appeared on such prime-time shows as “CSI: Miami” and “ER.”

The Los Angeles Times quoted his agent, Gar Lester, as saying he found the allegations against Medina hard to believe.

“He’s been my friend and client for 12 years, and he’s a great guy,” Lester told the newspaper on Sunday. “He’s great to his dog, he’s great to his people. He’s really a super person.”